Waking up in Vegas
by DancingStar01
Summary: In Vegas Connor and Lindsay must find out why a woman s baby was taken away..


Title: Waking Up in Vegas  
Author: DancingStar  
Pairing: Connor / Lindsay  
Rating: 16  
A PSI Factor FanFiction: In Vegas Connor and Lindsay must find out why a woman´s baby was taken away.  
Comments: There is no place in this world, which is more fascinated for me than Las Vegas. I'm curious if it's like I´m imagining. In August, I can tell you when I´m having my Vegas trip. Unfortunately it´s very expensive to rent a car in Vegas if you are under 25, so I have to travel there again: Then I rent a car and drive to Little Al-Le-Inn in the desert and see Area 51! :-)

**Waking up in Vegas **

Lindsay marveled at the beautiful view to the crowded Las Vegas Strip. It was still daylight, but she liked the view anyway. She had been in town since yesterday and she would love if she could stay forever in this city.  
"Don´t say it," Connor prayed, "You have said this a hundred times: You like this view."  
She turned around to Connor. "Why I won´ t shake the feeling you don´t like this city?"  
"People come to Vegas for only two reasons", said Connor, "Because of the gambling and to marry."  
"Have you ever thought some people come here just to have some fun?"  
"Like we did?", he asked. But they weren´t traveling to Sin City for fun: They were here because something strange and very frightening happened to a former employee of the OSIR and his wife. As far as Lindsay knew Greg and Paige Kiefer were expecting a baby. The child was born on the expected date of delivery in a private hospital in Las Vegas, where the couple lived. It was a C- Section delivery and because Paige Kiefer received lots of tranquilizer, she could remember only vague that the child, when it was lifted, had a strange and weird head and twisted arms and legs. Her husband was not with her at that moment, the doctors had asked him to stay outside. The woman heard one of the doctors saying: "Take him away." From that moment she never saw her son again. They told her and her husband later the baby had died shortly after childbirth. Back home, she told her husband about the strange experience in the delivery room and he called the police. But they found nothing unusual in the private clinic. The couple could not understand why the baby had died suddenly: The pregnancy was completely normal.  
So then they called the OSIR for help. Paige told them exactly how the child should have looked like and when an agent drew a picture, according to her descriptions, the team stopped their breath: It looked like a small creature from another world.  
Peter found the case very strange and it reminded him of something he had seen on television. Nevertheless, they had to work on this case and without further ado Connor Doyle and Lindsay Donner were accommodated Undercover in the hotel where the doctor, who had delivered the child of the former OSIR-employee, owned an expensive apartment. For their stay here they were called Connor and Lindsay Brown, a newly married couple from Canada. They even wore a ring on their finger. However, they were not really married and it was the condition for this investigation, that the hotel suite in which they lived, had two bedrooms. They liked each other very much, were good friends. That was all...  
Anton had arranged they lived just across from Dr. Townsend.  
"I cannot understand why they just sent US here!... Couldn´t they find someone better for this job?", asked Lindsay. Actually, she didn´t mind they had been sent to Las Vegas. It was a beautiful, bustling city but it was also a very noisy place. She had never been before in Vegas and when she arrived last night and got out of the car… In the first moment she felt like the colorful lights of the casinos crushed above her head.  
They lived at the Mandalay Bay, the southernmost hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. It was a very nice hotel in the South Asian style. It had several restaurants, a shark aquarium and every night the musical "The Lion King" was performed. But as they already knew it was no coincidence they lived just at this hotel. A little further north there was a beautiful hotel on the Strip. It was the Bellagio, the famous hotel where several times a day a great fountain show took place. Lindsay would have liked to live there, but unfortunately it was a little more expensive and it was not the hotel where their target subject lived. She had to talk to Connor: Perhaps she could persuade her undercover husband to take her out for dinner at the Bellagio.  
"Our mission is simple: We just have to get in touch with Dr. Townsend, we have to win his confidence and maybe we'll find out somehow what happened to the baby."  
Connor was talking so easily, thought Lindsay. It was probably not easy to win the trust of such person. How would he get that?  
Now Connor spoke out this question: "How do I get that?", he smiled then he showed her a fake ID which Anton had made for him. "Dr. Connor Brown, Surgeon. I try to have a conversation with Dr. Townsend."  
"Have fun," said Lindsay, but she didn´t mean that.  
By now it was noon and as Connor had noticed when he came back from breakfast this morning, Dr. Townsend had left his apartment with his wife for golf. When he had asked at the reception, where exactly Dr. Townsend used to golf, the man told him wasn´t allowed talking about it. Thus, Connor had lost the target subject out of sight for a while. They now had to wait until he and his wife returned.  
"If the investigation continues in that way, this view will be the only thing I see of Vegas", Lindsay murmured. As long as Townsend and his wife had not returned from golfing, Connor wanted to stay in their suite.  
"As soon as Townsend has returned, we investigate what he does and when he does it."  
"Awesome!", Lindsay was still very disappointed, "Then I hope, he ends this evening in a Blue Man Group show, visits a few casinos for gambling or something else... Why don´t we just go to his clinic and search for clues?"  
"Peter and Anton have already tried," he told her, "They couldn´t even do one step in the hospital because there were two bouncers in front of the door. They even tried to meet Townsend in person. Now he knows, of course, how Peter an Anton look like..." Only patients with appointment were allowed to enter Brad Townsend' s private clinic.  
"Why don´t we bug his apartment? This would make our work very..."  
"Peter has also tried," Connor admitted, "He burgled in Townsend´s apartment but he was caught by a maid. Now he has a lifetime order to stay away from Mandalay Bay." In fact, Peter was relieved the hotel management hadn´t called the police because of his affiliation with the OSIR. That he wasn´t able to bug Brad Townsend apartment had unfortunately the disadvantage Connor and Lindsay had to observe the target subject in a very primitive way. Unfortunately, these primitive methods were only good enough to find out (behind the computer) if Elvis was still alive or not.  
Admittedly she had imagined her first trip to Sin City differently, but the circumstances were unfortunately not to change. So she had to resign.

_"Shut up and put your money where your mouth is _  
_ That's what you get for waking up in Vegas _  
_ Get up and shake the glitter off your clothes, now _  
_ That's what you get for waking up in Vegas "_ ("Waking Up in Vegas" by Katy Perry)

On their third day together in Vegas they had agreed to file away the professional phrases. Finally, they should play a newly married couple and convincingly as possible. Lindsay actually took the idea very funny...  
"Where´re you going?", asked Lindsay when she saw how he ran to the door of the suite.  
"I'm meeting with Anton and Peter. We discuss how we continue in this case", he told her, "You stay here and watch the Townsend's! Call me when something important happens", Connor went out and slammed the door behind him.  
Lindsay decided to listen to him and do what he said. She watched who left the apartment on the opposite of the hallway. In this way her work didn´t make sense and because they weren´t able to bug Townsend' apartment they had no chance to find out when and why he and his wife left. But she was lucky: By chance she heard how Brad Townsend and his blonde- hair- dyed wife left the apartment with great Shopping bags, talking about in which shops they wanted to go. When Townsend and his wife left the hotel, Anton and Peter followed them by car, so she informed her colleagues by mobile phone about the planned shopping trip. Finally, Connor and Lindsay shouldn´t come under suspicion.  
Lindsay didn´t know what to think about the free time now. There were so many places in Vegas, which were worth seeing it. Then she thought about Connor who had told her to monitor the target subject… She was tired of sitting in this suite and she had no idea how long this would take. How long? She asked herself this question again and again and she came to the decisions she couldn´t stand it here anymore. So she grabbed her bag and left her suite. She needed no Connor to see the city. In addition, Brad Townsend was leaving the hotel and he was no longer her problem and finally she could not leave this city without having even entered a casino ... Maybe she even won the jackpot ... She could do whatever she wanted to do, she calmed herself.

When Connor came back from his meeting three hours later in a yawning heat, he noticed Lindsay was not there. Connor went out onto the balcony, but she was not even there. So he had to look after her. In fact, he had told her she shouldn´t leave the suite and he was a little upset when he finally found her: She was at the hotel pool, read a book and bathed in the sun, wearing a bikini and lying on her stomach. "I actually assumed we have a clear understanding," he scared her. In August it was boiling hot in Las Vegas, but she could have had a shower to cool and then she could have a bath in the sun on the suite´s balcony.  
What he didn´t know: Townsend and his wife set off three hours ago for luxury shopping. From that moment, Peter had taken over and followed the target subject.  
Lindsay ignored the morose undertones in Connor's voice. Without looking at him she grabbed for her sun lotion and handed it to him without getting up: "Please help me with my sun lotion, okay?"  
"What?"  
"Nothing. I´m asking my husband to put some sun lotion on my back, or do you want me to go get some sunburn?"  
"No, but..." He wanted to say that he was not really her husband, but he failed. Without a word he took the yellow plastic bottle, sat down beside her on the sunlounger and portioned the lotion gently on her skin while she continued reading her book. "Oh, and would you please open the straps of my bikini top?", she asked. She had resolved the knots of her bikini top in her neck but she couldn´t reach the knot on her back, she told him. Connor replied with a simple "Sure," and pulled carefully on the black nylon straps which held her top. Then he portioned a little more lotion on her back.  
Lindsay had to strain herself, not showing him how much she liked it to be touched by him. She wanted to know how he reacted when she wore the most sinful bikini she could find, lounged by the pool and asked him openly to help her with her sun cream. "That´s really good," she smiled without looking at him and Connor hated the fact he had given in. At the same time he wished he could just go on or she pulled him in her arms and kissed him ...  
"I'm done," he said, closed the plastic bottle and got up.  
"Really?", Lindsay asked in amazement, "What a pity..." Of course she had noticed he was jumped immediately. She knew him for two years but nobody before was able to bring him out of his shell, as she had just done.  
"Stay a while," she suggested, "As you can see, the sunlounger next to me is still free."  
"No, I'd better go back inside. Monitor Townsend and... It´s a bit too hot out here", Connor apologized and he wasn´t certainly only talking about the temperature. He saw like her soft skin glimmered in the sun. The temptation to caress her skin was too big… He said goodbye with a "See you," and left Lindsay a little bit disappointed.

In the evening they met Dr. Townsend and his wife for dinner. Connor talked with Dr. Townsend when he met him by chance in the hallway and asked him if he was also in the city because of the medical conference. Dr. Townsend answered, he lived here. Then Connor said he was here for the Congress.  
They met for dinner at a posh restaurant at the Mandalay Bay and when Brad Townsend met Lindsay, he shook her hand and said approvingly to Connor: "I haven´t know your wife is so pretty."  
Lindsay wore a pretty, strapless dress and her hair was pinned up with a clasp. Internally Connor asked why she looked so stunning now. He wished he could just put his hands on her shoulders and caress her as he had done this afternoon by the pool... He quickly shook his head. It wasn´t good he was distracted by his real task because of her.  
"We are just married," Lindsay said as she sat down at the table, "We are here for our honeymoon."  
Connor noticed the problem immediately. "Actually, yes, but I'm also here because the Medical Congress." From the corner of his eye, he noted Jenna wanted to know from Lindsay, how long she already knew Connor and she replied with "Since two years." That was true.  
Brad Townsend nodded. "Is this your first marriage?... Jenna is already my fourth wife, "said Dr. Townsend," My first wife Anna left me because I've spent too much time in operating rooms. My second and third wife filed for divorce in the same reason. Beware, that the same things happen to you."  
Jenna and Lindsay sat at the table next to each other and Jenna asked if Connor was also obsessed with his job just like her own man, "Connor works as surgeon. He says it's a great job", said Lindsay.  
"Brad is a doctor of gynecology and obstetrics," said Jenna softly, "He´s specialized in artificial insemination and he already helped many couples with fertility problems." Jenna ate a tomato and she suddenly asked, "What about you? Do you and your husband want to have a baby?"  
Lindsay choked almost on the mineral water which she drank. "We are just married," she said, "We haven´t even begun to think about children." Lindsay praised herself for that perfect excuse and a lie.  
"I can understand! I love Brad, but I'm too young for a child."  
Brad Townsend was, according to the website of his clinic, already over fifty years old and Lindsay found out Jenna wasn´t older than twenty-five. Her only job was to bath in the sun, to wear skimpy bikinis, to sleep next to the pool and spend her husband´s money all day long.  
While Lindsay and Jenna talked, Connor wanted to know if Brad had plans for the next day. "We are not in town, tomorrow," said Jenna Townsend, "We´ll visit Brad's daughter from his first marriage in Henderson."  
"Do you mind if we come, too?", asked Connor, "We have never been in Henderson."  
"To be honest, yes," Jenna replied in short supply, "We see our family... and we are not often in Henderson, there is nothing to see." Jenna didn´t thought the conversation was strange and even Brad didn´t mind, because after the dessert, he asked if Connor and Lindsay would like to see a show with him and Jenna. They accepted the invitation, Connor mainly wanted to find something out about Brad Townsend´s career. But he had no luck ...

Connor had engaged Anton to observe the house of Brad Townsend' s daughter and as it turned out, Brad and Jenna visited actually someone the next day. Anton promised to watch them and let him know if the couple should leave the house.  
So Connor and Lindsay had the day off. "What do you want to do today?", Connor asked and Lindsay thought she had misheard. He actually asked her what she wanted to do today.  
"Why?"  
"Because our success depends on our cooperation and we can´t be very successfull, if your mood is already at rock bottom."  
She thought for a moment. She had a thousand ideas, what they could do in this city: they could do a city tour, drive out to Hoover Dam, see the wax museum Madame Tussauds, book a helicopter -flight over the city... Finally they decided to book a city tour and because it lasted only three hours, they visited the wax museum. When they left the museum, it was getting dark, but the bright lights of the casinos were shining all day long.  
Lindsay liked the day very much, now she thought it was a shame it was already over.  
"I have an idea," Connor said suddenly, when they passed the Bellagio by foot. He led her into a small restaurant where they had a good view to the fountains outside the hotel and they stayed until it was completely dark.  
They were the last persons who sat in the small restaurant because the restaurant was rebuilt at the moment. The table next to the glass front offered a huge overlooking to the fountains and it was very nice. They had a perfect view and ordered some food.  
"Do you think there is any truth in this case?", Lindsay asked suddenly, looking down a bit depressed on her piece of strawberry cake, "I mean, it could be possible the baby is really dead."  
"That's what I've already thought," Connor poked around in his piece of chocolate cake helplessly, "but Anton found out that no baby died the congruous day... Nobody in the hospital wrote a death certificate... Not even in the following three days. " He noticed how she stared at her cake.  
"What´s wrong...? Would you like another cake?"  
She shook her head. The strawberry cake was great, but she was seriously worried because they had no clues until now. And she knew Connor was the same.  
After the cake Connor ordered a glass of red wine and in the abandoned restaurant they talked about Brad Townsend and about what they could do to find the baby. But they changed their topics of conversation: Suddenly they were talking about private things and laughing with each other until a waiter brought the bill and they left the restaurant. It was not even 11:00 p.m. when they got into the elevator.  
"How did you know I wanted to see the fountain show at Bellagio hotel?", she asked.  
"I don´t know. Actually I wanted to see the show, too."  
"It was a very nice day," her voice was much softer than usual and she leaned a little to him, "Thanks." She kissed him gently, held her breath and wondered if he returned the kiss. She made almost a leap of joy, when he did it. Lindsay melted away, put his arms around his neck and pressed her body onto his. Connor stepped up his kisses. He knew how this night would go on and he wouldn´t mind.  
"How much did you drink today?", he asked.  
"Half a glass of red wine. And I'm still sober", was the reply and she threw her arms around his neck again, when the elevator doors closed. She gave him a deep kiss and felt how his hands wandered over her body slowly and demanding. In the ground floor of the hotel, they went outside, got into a taxi and drove back to Mandalay Bay hotel.  
In her suite, she pulled him in her arms and kissed him impatient and wild. On the way to their hotel it was hard for her to leave hands off him, now she couldn´t hold back. She had been waiting long that something would happen between them. Now she didn´t want to wait any longer. When she had closed the door to their suite behind her, she pressed him against the wall to get out of her blue dress. Then he grabbed her hips, pushed her to the opposite wall of the hallway, where she helped him to get out of his shirt, without interrupting their kiss. Connor heard her gasping for air. He picked her up, so she clung to his shoulders and wrapped her legs around his body. Her breathing became more irregular. She wanted him so much.  
Lindsay helped him to take off his remaining clothes then their underwear followed. Just the idea of how they were in this hotel suite and loved each other speeded her pulse. Lindsay whispered loving things in his ear and asked him to free her finally from the beautiful storm of feelings, which he caused in her. He did her the favor, but only to continue with her in the same manner on the couch and in bed.

"Come out, the weather is great," said Connor in the next morning to her, as he opened the door to the balcony and went out. It was warm this morning, the sun wasn´t shining too much.  
"I thought you don´t like the view," she smiled and crossed her arms over the fluffy bathrobe she wore.  
"I've never claimed! Sorry, I am not as euphoric as you but I have read Las Vegas is the city with the four highest crime rate in the U.S.,", he said. He had prepared breakfast on the balcony and the fact he wouldn´t like view about the Las Vegas Strip, wasn´t true.  
Lindsay sat down with him at the table, poured herself a cup of coffee when there was a knock at the door. "Are you expecting someone?", asked Lindsay and Connor got up. He wanted to answer the door because he knew who it was. Connor had secretly ordered a strawberry cake form the Bellagio for her and it was brought by courier. For that he had refused when she asked him after waking up in a naughty and rude way if he wanted to take a shower with her. After their hot night he had nothing more in mind than continue where they stopped.  
Now he was excited to see her face. He paid the courier and noticed Brad Townsend and his wife Jenna had came back today from visiting his daughter. He would call Anton later and ask him why. Brad wished Connor good morning and asked if he and Lindsay wanted to have lunch with him and Jenna today at Country Club.  
With the package in his hand, he went back to Lindsay, who was still sitting on the balcony and ate breakfast. "This is for you," he said, putting the box on the table.  
"Doesn´t mean anything good…," she smiled and took a sip of coffee.  
"Unfortunately, yes," he took a deep breath, "Would you be very angry if we accompany Townsend and his wife for lunch today?"  
"No," she shook her head. She had thought it would be something worse. So she was glad it wasn´t so and this little package was really just a sweet gesture to win a woman´s heart.  
"Won´t you open the box?", He wanted to know and when she saw the cake, she gave him a light kiss. Even if they had to spend the afternoon with the Townsends, Lindsay was very happy to be together with Connor ...  
"Do you think I should ask Townsend, if he needs a trauma surgeon in his clinic? We are still without evidences."  
"I have a better idea", Lindsay's voice was very calm and he knew he wouldn´t like her proposal, "Townsend's specialty is artificial insemination. I try to get an appointment in his clinic."  
"Alone?", Connor was horrified, "No, You´re not going alone! It's too dangerous!"  
"Then come with me... I already have an idea how we do that..."

_"'Cause baby you're a firework _  
_ Come on show 'em what your worth _  
_ Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!" _  
_ As you shoot across the sky _

_ Baby you're a firework _  
_ Come on let your colors burst _  
_ Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!" _  
_ You're gunna leave 'em fallin' down "_ ("Firework" by Katy Perry)

They met Brad and Jennifer Townsend, because they invited them to the Country Club. It was boiling hot again this afternoon and Lindsay rather wanted to swim in the pool, but her job was more important now. While Brad explained Connor the rules of cricket on the Country Club´s lawn, Lindsay and Jenna stood on the sidelines and watch them. One of Jenna's friends came to them with a baby carriage and for Lindsay it came at the right time. "This is a very sweet baby!", Jenna said to her friend and she noticed Lindsay doesn´t cast a single glance in the stroller.  
"What? What´s wrong?"  
"Nothing," she replied and walked a few steps forward. Stressed, she held her forehead and her plan worked: Jenna wanted to know what was wrong with her.  
"Is everything okay?", Jenna asked, worried and Lindsay tried to smile bravely.  
"The baby... Well, I know... Um, I don´t know how to say it," she still sounded stressed and Jenna immediately understood: "I thought you want no children!"  
"I try to convince myself," Lindsay blinked to look as concerned as possible, "but I am sorry to have to congratulate my pregnant friends every time and I could burst into tears when I see a woman with a baby carriage."  
"How long have you tried?"  
"For one year," Lindsay lied, "And we really tried everything, but..."  
"Don´t worry, Lindsay!", Jenna suddenly had a beaming face, "I'll get you an appointment in Brad's clinic for consultation!"

Of course, Connor and Lindsay already knew where Brad Townsend's clinic was, but they came two minutes to late to their appointment and told the receptionist they hadn´t found the hospital immediately.  
They had to wait in the waiting room for fifteen minutes, until a nurse led them into a meeting room. When they walked through the clinic Lindsay tried to film everything with a hidden camera in her purse as well as possible. The plan was that Peter would visit the clinic the evening, outside normal working hours without consulting a doctor. Perhaps a video of the interior would help.  
In the Meeting Room Brad was waiting for them. "Jenna told me about your problem," he said, "You have been trying for one year to have a baby?"  
"Yes," Lindsay replied scared. She prayed to God this lie was uncovered.  
"You tried it with hormone injections?"  
"Several times", Lindsay felt she sounded very nervous and Connor noticed it.  
"How much will it cost?", he asked, Lindsay looked at him shocked. At that moment, the actress in her could not believe the existence of their future child depended on a few thousand dollars!  
"Eight thousand dollars," said Brad Townsend, without batting an eyelash. He asked them some questions, he said blood tests were part of the standard examination, followed by more detailed studies at the next appointment and then they could find a date for the first try. The meeting was ended and they left the clinic relieved.  
"Oh boy, that was weird," said Connor, when they got into a taxi and Lindsay agreed. She patted her purse affectionately. "I hope the video helps."

The next day, after Peter had _visited_ the clinic in a secret night-and-dagger operation (he burgled into the surgery through a window at the back of the building, because Townsend's bouncer guarded the clinic even at night) and hadn´t found clear information about the Baby (he could only find a copy of Paige Kiefer´s medical records), Connor was sitting on the couch with his laptop and read something in a web forum. He found a very interesting definition and because he didn´t know what it meant he searched on Google. Lindsay was at the door to their suite and watched him. Actually she wanted to go out with him after Brad Townsend and his wife Jenna had arranged to meet again with Townsend's daughter from his first marriage. Jenna had told her they would now discuss a few things about the daughter´s upcoming wedding and Lindsay had researched (after all, Brad and Jenna belonged to high society in Las Vegas), this was not a lie and they were really busy with the wedding planning. Because Anton had an eye on the Townsend`s, Connor and Lindsay had the day off. After breakfast they went to Freemont Street and when they returned in the late afternoon, they decided to rest a bit. Now it was already evening. Dawn already lay over the city and it was dark in their suite.  
"Lindsay, do you know what the Aarskog syndrome is?", Connor asked suddenly.  
"No, I don´t know."  
"In Paige Kiefer´s medical records the diagnosis is noted that the baby could be diseased with the Aarskog syndrome. It occurs very rarely, most to male patients because it´s an X-linked inherited syndrome. Indicators are dwarfism, abnormalities of the facial features, hands and feet and the cornea of the eyes are altered. Characteristics also are round faces with wide forehead, snub nose, broad nasal bridge and nostrils."  
"You read too many medical journals," said Lindsay. In preparation for this case he had read many of Anton's medical journals. Finally he had to act as an authentic trauma surgeon.  
"I didn´t," he said again, "I know from Wikipedia."  
Amused, she shook her head.  
"Maybe the baby died because the disease was actually confirmed..."  
"You said, it´s strange no death certificate was written in the hospital, not even three days later."  
"That's the problem, so my guess is unrealistic," he put away the laptop, got up and came to her. She was still standing in the doorway, because she was watching him a little bit surprised. "But to read medical journals, can also be very useful. On this evening at the Bellagio I could see you´re flirting with me."  
"What?"  
Connor pulled her into his arms. "Your heart rate speeds up, your pupils dilate, your lips...", he came closer for a kiss and they were only millimeters apart, when there was a knock at the door. "Room Service!", called a voice. Disappointed, he let her go, answered the door and while he paid the room service, she sat on the couch.  
"What have you ordered?", Lindsay asked when he sat down beside her with a tray.  
"Duck with orange sauce, crepes and chocolate cream. It all comes from the French restaurant, what we saw on the ground floor." It was very thoughtful of him he had noticed.  
"That's very sweet of you," she smiled. There was one thing which they had to talk about urgently. Something she needed to know.  
"What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right?"  
"I think in this case we can make an exception."  
Her eyes sparkled when he said this. "I have an idea how we can lose all the calories later, which your dinner includes."  
"I have a feeling I will like your idea, but why should we wait?", he murmured, leaning towards her to kiss her and at that moment his phone rang. Lindsay thought it was a pity they were disturbed again, but he had to answer the phone. She could not allow him to disregard his job out of pure love for her. As it turned out, it was Anton. He sounded very excited.  
"...What do you mean, Townsend was with the police?" Connor asked loud and Anton told him that Brad Townsend, after he brought Jenna back to the hotel, went unexpectedly into his clinic. After five minutes he rushed out the building and after ten more minutes, he talked to a police officer and pointed to an open window in his clinic. Connor already knew that Peter burgled into the clinic through a window. That wouldn´t be a drama, if yesterday was not a Sunday by chance on which nobody worked in the clinic. The nurses and physician assistants had assured to their boss they had closed the windows and Townsend was obvious someone had burgled into his clinic.  
"What is he doing now?" The question was unnecessary, when they heard a scream from Townsend´s apartment and Lindsay recognized the voice immediately: it was Jenna! She cried hysterically, Brad should please tell her why he was upset so suddenly and why he packed his things. Finally, it was evening and because Jenna was tired, she didn´t understand why he wanted to leave town in haste.  
"Anton, please come as soon as possible to Mandalay", with these words Connor ended the call, put away the cell phone and he and Lindsay went to the door. They heard how Jenna protested loudly when Brad pushed her into an elevator at the end of the corridor. He had a large travel bag with him. Apparently he had packed only the minimum. "Brad, what are you doing?", Jenna shouted, who was wearing her pajama, a bathrobe and bunny slippers.  
"Shut up!", said Brad to her and also got into the elevator.  
Connor and Lindsay took the stairs and they caught up Brad and Jenna outside the hotel when he tried to get her into a taxi. Jenna called out for help when she saw her neighbors.  
"Let her go!", Connor stroke out against Townsend, Jenna was able to break away but Connor's plan didn´t work. Somehow, Townsend got the opportunity to catch him and the two women were shocked when Brad took a pistol out of his pocket and pressed it against Connor's temple.  
"Brad, what are you doing?", Tears of despair rose in Jenna's eyes. She was now more confused than before. "Shut up, Jenna! Shut up!", Townsend yelled to his wife and she stared at him, during weeping and holding Lindsay's arm.  
"Easy, Brad," Lindsay tried to calm him, "Tell me what's going on, please."  
"Now I get in this car," Brad's voice and hands trembled, "And I leave the city. If one of you calls the police I´ll kill him." Brad pressed the revolver against Connors head and Jenna gasped excited for air. She could not understand why Lindsay was so quiet. But then she saw it: Connor looked at her in such a special way that she believed they could read each others´ thoughts.  
"I love you," she told him.  
"I know." The next moment, Connor, tried to break away from Brad Townsend. It all happened so quickly when Brad shot. Lindsay heard Connor screaming and he was suddenly on the ground. He held his shoulder and Lindsay noticed how blood ran down his shirt.  
"Connor!", she cried. A bullet had struck his shoulder and the burning pain made him almost insane. Brad was shocked about himself that he had actually shot someone with his gun. In the distance he heard sirens and it was not possible to discern if this was the police or an ambulance.  
"You have to stay awake, do you hear me!", Lindsay shouted at him and tears welled in her eyes. A knot of people already formed around them.  
More and more blood came out of the wound on his shoulder and he hardly tried to stay conscious. Lindsay almost cried when the ambulance finally arrived.

For Lindsay, it almost took forever until the paramedics arrived and took care of Connor. They stabilized his condition and Lindsay had already forgotten Brad Townsend was on the run, because he had shot Connor.  
Jenna Townsend still could not believe her husband was able to do such a terrible thing.  
Lindsay held worried his hand when he received more medicine by a doctor. He explained it were painkillers. The Doctors handed Lindsay a jacket and some loose strands of her hair were fluttering in the wind.  
"You can pick him up from the hospital tomorrow evening," said the paramedic to Lindsay, "The bullet will be removed tonight then he must stay for one night in hospital for observation."  
Lindsay nodded. The knots of people had broken with the arrival of the ambulance in the colorful lights of the city, but now another car parked next to the medical vehicle and Peter and Anton got out. Anton asked the paramedics about Connors condition.  
"How are you?", asked Peter, standing next to Lindsay.  
Connor looked very tired. The strong dose pain medication was very effective. "I felt better before", he explained, "What about Brad?"  
"As far as I've heard on the police radio, he has been taken at Flamingo Road."  
Connor and Lindsay seemed to be calmed and Anton's conversation with the paramedics had ended. He told Peter and Lindsay, they should say goodbye to Connor and he gave them the address of the hospital.  
"Wait a minute," said Lindsay, put her hands lovingly on Connors cheeks, leaned toward him and kissed him deeply. Peter was a bit confused when he went back to Anton and asked him what he thought about it. The two as a couple, That was unimaginable...  
"What I think about it?", Anton asked, grinning, "I think it was long overdue."  
In front of the ambulance, Lindsay ended the kiss and held Connors hand as long as she could until the paramedics shut the vehicle´s door and left. Lindsay took a deep breath and with a worried expression in her face she walked to Peter and Anton. "What's going on?", he asked.  
"Townsend is arrested, but we still don´t know, where the baby is," she admitted, "Connor suggested it would be ill with Aarskog syndrome and therefore it was deformed at birth..."  
Anton nodded. "That would be a possibility at least... But why let Townsend the baby disappear?"  
"Excuse me," a blonde woman interrupted their conversation, "Perhaps I can explain." Jenna had recovered from her first shock. They sat down on the little wall of the fountain that existed in front of the Mandalay Bay Hotel. "Tonight everything went wrong," she reported, "He took me back to the hotel and then he drove in his clinic. I tried to find sleep and because I couldn´t, I was looking for sleeping pills in Brad's stuff. Instead, I found this record about a little boy who was born disfigured and..."  
They held their breath. "Jenna, is the baby may alive?"  
"I have also asked Brad. He told me I should not poke my nose to his business. I don´t know where the baby is. I'm sorry!" Jenna burst into tears and Lindsay put an arm around her shoulders comforting. It was not Jenna's fault. Now the question remained about the reason for this. Why Brad Townsend separated a mother from her child? At least for Lindsay the answer was quickly found: If it were known, that one of the test-tube babies by Brad Townsend weren´t born in a faultless condition, he would certainly lose the trust of many patients.  
Jenna was still crying and Anton advised her to tell the police the story. Perhaps the baby would be found one day but it was hopefully still alive. Lindsay was convinced Paige Kiefer would love her baby anyway. No matter how it looked like.  
She and Peter sat alone on the wall of the small fountain and they looked very disappointed. "Oh great, the case is over and we aren´t wiser after the event," Peter said what he thought and suddenly he looked at his watch. "It's getting late," said he and Lindsay didn´t understand what was wrong. He got up and pointed to his car.  
"Come on, I'll drive to the hospital," he told her, "You should be with Connor when he wakes up after his surgery."

Fin


End file.
